Winter salad with couscous, broccoli, and chickpeas

I don’t know how it might seem to you but… it’s the tastiest salad that we’ve ever enjoyed in this house! This winter salad with vegetable couscous, broccoli, peas, chickpeas, and a sweet and sour tahini dressing has won over our hearts! The little hands enjoyed it playfully, eating almost all of it, while the demanding larger hands had a second serving! And if that’s not convincing enough, let me tell you that it’s an incredibly nutritious and quick lunch or dinner! The broccoli and chickpeas create an amazing combination with the handmade fresh vegetable couscous by Mama Irene Pasta, while the dressing really makes the dish shine! A light but a filling meal for the whole family which, despite being vegan (and suitable for Lent) has everything the main course needs. 

What we are going to need

For the salad

• Vegetable couscous by Mama Irene Pasta. Handmade pure pasta from fine Greek grains full of freshness and enjoyment. This pure, handmade pasta is incredibly tasty, nutritious, and at the same time playful. They’re colourful, delicious pearls of freshly selected vegetables (Red pepper, spinach, beetroot), without added salt, fermented only with fresh vegetables, suitable for vegans, and belong to the “Happy Kids” collection by Mama Irene Pasta. The vegetable couscous can be found over at mamairenepasta.gr, and using the code “LITTLEHANDS” you can get 10% off every purchase. 
• Vegetables. Fresh and red onions, broccoli, peas, and purple cabbage. The cabbage was a last-minute addition and it proved to be an amazing idea. We had purple cabbage from Grandpa’s farm, but you can also add white instead, of course. For younger children, I’d suggest you sauté it with the other vegetables. 
• Chickpeas. You’ll need a cup of boiled chickpeas, or more or less depending on your tastes. Of course, you can skip them, but they complete the dish, as they’re an excellent source of proteins and iron. You can store soaked or boiled chickpeas in your freezer in portions to save time when you want to add them to a meal. 
• Olive oil. Virgin olive oil. 
• Spices. Sweet paprika and turmeric, which we love so much. Garlic powder.

For the dressing

• Olive oil. 
• Balsamic vinegar. I used honey balsamic cream since that was what I had in my pantry, and the dressing was truly transformed. Of course, this cream is suitable for children over the age of one, with pure ingredients. Alternatively, you can use whichever balsamic vinegar you have and add 1 tsp. honey. 
• Whole-grain tahini. The whole-grain tahini has more fiber, just like all whole-grain products, and so we prefer it. You’ll find amazing whole-grain tahini at Mama Irene Pasta. Instead of tahini, you can also use peanut butter.
• Lemon. The juice of half a lemon.

Tips

• The winter salad with couscous and broccoli can be served both hot and cold. We loved it cold.
• Of course, you can play around with the ingredients, and adjust them to what you happen to have at home. For example, you can add sweet potatoes or leeks, skip the chickpeas, or add beans. Whatever you like. 
• You can store couscous with broccoli for 2–3 days in the fridge. 
• I suggest cooking cabbage along with the other vegetables for children over the age of one. 
• To avoid dirtying too many pots, you can boil the peas either with the couscous or like I did, in the pan after you’ve removed the vegetables. While the pan’s still hot, I added the frozen peas and just a bit of water and let it boil for 3–4 minutes before straining. 
• If your vegetable couscous doesn’t absorb all the water, strain it. For a less mushy and fluffy result, wash it under cold water. Mix softly using a spoon so that you can let all the water out.

How the little hands can help

• Initially, by choosing the vegetables from the grocery store. 
• Then, wash the vegetables. This is everyone’s favourite moment, as it’s a water activity, and the little hands love playing with water.
• Of course, they can also cut the broccoli, even breaking it with their little hands.
• They can also add the couscous to the pot and mix. 
• When all the ingredients of the winter salad with couscous are ready, give them a large bowl and let them add the ingredients and mix thoroughly. The same applies to the dressing.

How to offer it with the BLW method

For infants 6–9 months old

• Offer the broccoli thoroughly boiled, in little trees. While I mentioned broccoli is good when it’s a little crunchy, you’ll need to pay attention with infants, and you need to boil it well. 
• Offer cooked cabbage and not raw.
• Press the chickpeas a little to change their spherical shape and to make them less of a choking hazard. The same thing happens with peas, though it has a good size. 
• Chickpeas, peas, and couscous can be offered in pre-loaded spoons, which I’ve mentioned here.

For babies 9–12 months old

You can offer the salad on a sectioned plate with all the ingredients separate so that they can choose. This can also help picky eaters eat more easily. If, on the other hand, you want to serve it normally, you know your kid the best. The ingredients of couscous with broccoli and chickpeas don’t need any special treatment at this age, besides the cabbage which should be offered thoroughly cooked.

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